★★★★★ 4
Vintage 60's cool, but sizing is a difficult decision
I can't believe I haven't owned one of these for the last 40 years or so. To put one on after all these years takes one right back to the questionable days of one's youth when you wore these bare chested underneath while tooling around on your Kawasaki 500 triple. Well it will take you back if you haven't let yourself go too far!
I received both a large and a medium in black (love the free returns on clothing, I always order two sizes so I get the right fit). They are both made in Mexico and look very neat and well made, the denim is on the thin side but OK for warm weather. Nowhere is there any tag saying shrink to fit or shrinks two sizes. The tag says machine wash cold, tumble dry medium.
The large is quite large on me (I'm 5'9" 168 lbs trim and athletic build, more often than not I wear large in T shirts and jackets), the sleeves are way too long and loose, body too long and loose. Would have to shrink drastically to fit me, I really doubt it would shrink anywhere near that much. This type jacket is just all wrong if it's too loose fitting, witness the BLACK color one in the model photos, just not too cool.
The medium fits much much smaller but IMHO perfect for this style jacket, a classic fit like Steve McQueen or Robert Plant would have sported, high waist and tight shoulders with sleeves rolled back a little. If you look at the model in the 'HARRINGTON' color you have the idea. It will be totally bitchen on today's big black BMW oilhead. This is the youthful fit I was looking for but any shrinkage would be too much. I am conflicted because I would like to wash this jacket and break it in, put a little wear and tear on it. But I wouldn't dare dry it with heat. I might try washing it in cold water and then line dry or I may just dry clean it. I am tempted to go out and drag it up and down the gravel driveway and run it over with my truck a few times till it acquires some of the same attitude it inspires in me. All I need now is a Psychedelic soundtrack and I'm all set to relive the glory days, better than the first time around.
A little research on the Levi's website reveals they have a regular fit and a slim fit in addition to this relaxed fit which is the only one available on Amazon. I find that this relaxed version works well in the medium size anyway, it seems to be relaxed only in the body, not so much in shoulders or sleeves.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2015
